With this initial cooperation agreement between the German Social Accident
Insurance Institution Raw Materials and Chemical Industry (BG RCI) and the
industry association for foamed materials and polyurethanes, the Specialist
Association Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK), both organizations are for
the first time starting a joint initiative for occupational safety in the
polyurethane and foamed plastics industry under the new prevention strategy
VISION ZERO. "The efforts in our industry perfectly match VISION ZERO, which
targets bringing occupational illnesses and accidents at work down to zero,"
stated FSK Managing Director, Dr. Hans-W. Schloz. He went on to say, "We are
trying to combine the German Social Accident Insurance Institution's prevention
strategy measures VISION ZERO, 'Zero accidents - stay healthy at work!' with
environmental protection measures in the foamed plastics and polyurethane
processing industry and see this cooperation as a comprehensive package for a
high level, uniform implementation of environmental standards and occupational
health and safety measures in the industry".

According to Helmut Ehnes, German Social Accident Insurance Institution RCI
Head of Prevention, this is the ideal basis for practically implementing the
recently adopted German Social Accident Insurance Institution's prevention
concept ‘VISION ZERO‘in an industry example. It is hereby not only a matter of
common goals, but rather about specific measures and steps that the German
Social Accident Insurance Institution will implement together with the FSK.
Environmental protection and occupational safety in companies working with
chemical materials are very complex and demanding issues stated Dr. Thomas
Martin, German Social Accident Insurance Institution RCI, Head of Office for
Hazardous Substance Information.

One of the key starting points for occupational safety measures is the
knowledge of and proper handling of chemical substances in the companies. This
generates risk assessment and operating instructions with polyurethane
processors; also in order to meet legal obligations stated Dr. Martin. "This is
why the cooperation between the German Social Accident Insurance Institution
and the FSK will begin with the developing of a common database for materials
management in polyurethane processing companies. The German Social Accident
Insurance Institution will incorporate its experience from the GisChem
database, to connect the FSK database with yet to be introduced data from the
polyurethane and foamed plastics industry", said Dr. Thomas Martin. According
to Helmut Ehnes, the German Social Accident Insurance Institution will also
integrate findings from national and international projects in interfaces for
material data sheets and for the data from electronic safety data sheets, in
particular occupational safety relevant information.

Based on this further measures such as training, occupational safety briefings
but also consulting on environmental legislation and environmental issues will
be implemented in the companies, said FSK Managing Director Dr. Hans-W. Schloz.
This promotes the German Social Accident Insurance Institution's strategy
objectives from VISION ZERO such as decreasing the risk of accidents at work,
increasing the number of accident free companies, needs-based prevention
offerings and prevention measures.

AplusA-online.de - Source: Specialist Association Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK)